As you may remember, I previously urged you NOT to get the G1 Android phone (http://www.bladam.com/main...). I'm proud and really happy to note that there are now Android phones (including the DROID) that I think are just awesome. If I were in the market for a new phone, I'd seriously, happily consider the DROID. Check it out! :) - Adam Lasnik

And this is probably a good time for a friendly reminder/disclaimer. I work for Google. I am not on the Android team. I am speaking for me here, not my employer, not my parents, not harvey the invisible rabbit, not the illuminati....... - Adam Lasnik

I can't wait to be in a situation that will enable me to afford a DROID. I so want one. - Jaemi Kehoe from IM

I hear ya, Jaemi. Especially without contract, these smart phones (or "app phones" as David Pogue is now calling them) tend to be crazy expensive. But for the patient... those willing to be early-but-not-earliest adoption, I think much cheaper prices can be had. - Adam Lasnik

Droid is very exciting indeed, and just saw/liked the new commercial http://www.youtube.com/watch... - Huseyin Savas

is it better than the iPhone? - Claudia Petrilli

Claudia, different. Consensus seems to be that it's slightly less flashy / less polished, but offers more features and functionality and a much nicer screen. Also, it's on a different carrier: Verizon (instead of AT&T). - Adam Lasnik

ah, we don't have Verizon in Canada. Is it a better carrier? - Claudia Petrilli

In terms of service, from what I've heard, T-Mobile > Verizon > AT&T, and in terms of coverage and call quality, Verizon > AT&T > T-Mobile. At my house I need to go outside sometimes to get AT&T coverage, but Verizon works everywhere. I suspect any of them are better than Rogers ;( but don't have enough first-hand experience to be sure. - Amit Patel

To add to that: I'd be using Verizon if it weren't for AT&T. And everyone else in the house would be using the iPhone if it weren't for AT&T. They all laugh when my phone doesn't connect and theirs does. But then I laugh when they can't do anything interesting with their phones ;) - Amit Patel

Are you guys wishing for a world where phone choices are independent of carrier choices? - Peng-Toh

Absolutely, Peng-toh! Do you think that's inevitable? In the U.S. it'd be challenging due to implementation issues... specifically that Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T/T-Mobile networks work on different frequencies, so it's actually impossible to use a phone on both Verizon and T-mobile at present :(. The folks in Europe and most of the rest of the world who standardized on GSM are undoubtedly laughing at us right now :(. - Adam Lasnik

"Don't be put off by hip/edgy marketing" makes me giggle every time I read it. - EricaJoy

glad to provide amusement :P - Adam Lasnik

It hadn't occurred to me the droid wasn't GSM. I forgot there were non-GSM carriers. Even though I rarely travel outside the US, I don't think I'd want a phone that only worked here. I wonder how much Verizon is paying Motorola not to let T-Mobile & AT&T sell a GSM version of the droid. - Seth

Seth, it's possible that you're making incorrect assumptions :) Remember, hardware companies can't just instantly create a phone that'll work on all U.S. networks. - Adam Lasnik

There is a GSM droid coming. Motorola isn't going to ignore the rest of the world which is more profitable. - Peng-Toh

Where I am, phones are not allowed to be locked to a carrier and you can get phones that support both CDMA and all forms of GSM. It is just a matter of hardware costs. You should blame FCC for not having the guts to fight for the consumer. - Peng-Toh

You can always buy a phone that's not locked to the carrier in the US. The problem is, the prices for the service all factor in subsidizing a phone, which means that even if you bought a phone that's unlocked, you don't get a discount on the service (or even an elimination of the activation fee). The result is that everybody buys a phone through a carrier. It's as though all cars were sold assuming that you'd pay for the car partly through buying gas from the company that sold you the car. - Piaw Na

Here, phones are subsidized if you sign up for a plan but the phone is not locked. There is a healthy resale market for new/used phones as a result. - Peng-Toh

Are prices for the plans reduced if you don't buy a phone? - Piaw Na

Piaw, no. But the typical hardware subsidy is only about US$100 for a two year contract. The iPhone is unusual though. You can sign up for a two year contract, get a new *unlocked* 3GS 32GB for US$500 and sell it on the resale market for US$900 and the profit will pay for almost two years worth of service plan. You could do the roughly the same thing with the iPhone 3G last year. (Yes, the 3GS is currently out of stock.) Many people, like my mom, do not change phones every year or two and it is a good way to extract the hardware subsidy. - Peng-Toh